Lavandula plant named &#39;Annet&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lavandula  plant named ‘Anne’, characterized by its compact and broadly upright plant habit; relatively rapid growth rate; freely branching growth habit; strong durable plants; freely flowering habit; violet-colored flowers arranged on terminal spikes; relatively long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lavandula angustifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANNET ’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lavandula plant,botanically known as Lavandula angustifolia, commonly referred to asLavender and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Annet’.

The new Lavandula plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Nuis, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new unique Lavandula plants with goodperformance and attractive plant form and flower coloration.

The new Lavandula plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in June, 2009 of Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue Royalty’,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,657, as the female, or seed, parentwith Lavandula angustifolia ‘Maxima’, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Lavandula plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Nuis, TheNetherlands in August, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lavandula plant by terminal cuttings ina controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands sinceSeptember, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Lavandulaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lavandula have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the new Lavandula plant. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Annet’ as a new and distinctLavandula plant:

1. Compact and broadly upright plant habit.

2. Relatively rapid growth rate.

3. Freely branching growth habit.

4. Strong durable plants.

5. Freely flowering habit.

6. Violet-colored flowers arranged on terminal spikes.

7. Relatively long flowering period.

8. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent, ‘Blue Royalty’, in inflorescence size and peduncle thickness asplants of ‘Blue Royalty’ have smaller inflorescences and thinnerpeduncles.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, ‘Maxima’, in peduncle thickness as plants of ‘Maxima’ havethicker peduncles.

Plants of the new Lavandula can be compared to plants of the Lavandulaangustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons,plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of ‘HidcoteBlue’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Lavandula are more compact and denser than plantsof ‘Hidcote Blue’.

2. Plants of the new Lavandula flower for a longer period of time thanplants of ‘Hidcote Blue’.

3. Plants of the new Lavandula have shorter and thicker peduncles thanplants of ‘Hidcote Blue’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Lavandula plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lavandula plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Annet’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘Annet’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and following detaileddescription were grown in 12-cm containers during the spring and earlysummer in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands and undercultural practices typical of commercial Lavandula production. Plantswere nine months old when the photographs and description were taken.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C.to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula angustifolia ‘Annet’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue            Royalty’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,657.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Lavandula angustifolia ‘Maxima’,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About ten days at            temperatures about 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 60 days            at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 70 days            at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially white in color            and becoming more brown with development; actual color of            the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water            quality, fertilizer type and formulation.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact and            broadly upright plant habit; freely branching habit;            moderately vigorous growth habit; relatively rapid growth            rate; flowers arranged in verticillasters on terminal            spikes.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 39.4            cm.        -   Plant width.—About 41.5 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About 64            primary lateral branches developing per plant. Length: About            11.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About            2.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly.            Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.            Color, developing: Close to 137C. Color, developed: Close to            between N199A and N199B.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 5.3 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Lanceolate            to narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute to obtuse.            Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire; slightly revolute. Texture            and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; very            slightly glossy. Fragrance: Strongly aromatic, pungent.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper            surface: Close to 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface:            Close to between 143C and 144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 138A to 138B.            Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to N137D;            venation, close to 137C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type, arrangement and habit.—Small single salverform            flowers arranged in verticillasters on terminal spikes;            freely flowering habit with about 325 flowers developing per            inflorescence and more than 6,000 flowers developing per            plant; flowers with two-lobed upper lip and three-lobed            lower lip; flowers face mostly outward to slightly upright            on the spike.        -   Natural flowering season.—Relatively long flowering period;            continuous from late spring into the summer in The            Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last about            ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Oblong. Texture and luster: Moderately tomentose;            matte. Color: Close to 83A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.6 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.2 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Upper lip, two-lobed and            lower lip, three-lobed. Length, upper lip: About 1.2 cm.            Length, lower lip: About 1.1 cm. Width, upper lip: About            3 mm. Width, lower lip: About 2 mm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate; lower 66.7% fused into a tube. Apex: Obtuse,            rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper (inner)            surface: Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte. Texture and            luster, lower (outer) surface: Sparsely pubescent, velvety;            matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper (inner)            surface: Close to 86D; throat, close to 84C to 84D, towards            the base, close to NN155D; color does not fade with            development. When opening and fully opened, lower (outer)            surface: Close to 86D; tube, close to N78C to N78D, towards            the base, close to NN155D; color does not fade with            development.        -   Basal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Each group of            flowers is subtended by a single basal flower bract. Length:            About 5 mm. Width: About 4.5 mm. Shape: Broadly rhomboidal.            Apex: Aristate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and            luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 157D; towards the            margins, tinged with close to 86A to 86B; venation, close to            143B.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, fused into a            campanulate tube. Calyx length: About 4 mm. Calyx diameter:            About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin:            Entire. Texture and luster, upper (inner) and lower (outer)            surfaces: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper (inner) surface: Close to 83A;            pubescence, close to 83A. When opening and fully opened,            lower (outer) surface: Close to 145D; venation, close to            144B; pubescence, close to 83A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 22.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.            Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong to slightly            outward. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly            glossy. Color: Close to 137C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.            Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to            NN155D. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About            0.75 mm. Anther color: Close to 203D. Pollen amount:            Moderate to abundant. Pollen color: Close to 17A. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 3.5 mm.            Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 152A.            Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 157B to            157D. Ovary color: Close to 143A.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been            observed on plants of the new Lavandula.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavandula have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lavandula    plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lavandula have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate high    temperatures about 40° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lavandula plant named ‘Annet’ asillustrated and described.